A LAST gasp goal from little Leon Knight stole the points for Huddersfield Town and spoiled the ground-opening party at Bloomfield Road last Saturday (Feb 23).

"We were mugged," said a bitterly disappointed Steve McMahon. Unfortunately for the Seasiders, a new stadium didn't bring a new defence and the near capacity crowd witnessed Pool making the same old mistakes.

The general performance was good and Blackpool had the lion's share of the possession against a team flying high near the top of the division. Steve McMahon certainly believed his team had it in them to win the game, opting to play three up front.

Strikers Richard Walker, Scott Taylor and John Murphy all started, but when the game got underway it seemed as though Taylor was playing just behind the other two -- a role he took on brilliantly, especially in the first half.

Behind them was a midfield three of Lee Collins, Richie Wellens, and John Hills who all played their part well. At the back Phil Barnes was protected by Ian Marshall, John O'Kane, Tommy Jaszczun and Brian Reid.

The team seemed to be just as "up" for the game as the fans were in their new facilities in the west and north stands. Taylor and Hills in particular started brightly, cutting inside the Huddersfield full back to supply crosses for Walker and Murphy.

Unfortunately for Pool, Walker and Murphy seemed reluctant to score the first goal in the new-look stadium. On a number of occasions in the first half, they chose to give each other the chance to shoot when they really should have shot themselves.

At the other end Huddersfield were confined to a few long-range shots, which provided easy pickings for Phil Barnes. Blackpool meanwhile were getting closer and on 23 minutes Richard Walker came within a whisker of the opening goal. After twisting and turning through the Huddersfield defence he side-footed past Huddersfield keeper Martyn Margetson only to see the ball agonisingly rebound off the far post.

Walker was unlucky again, just a minute later, when Margettson acrobatically pushed away his shot from just inside the box.

Huddersfield had the next big chance, around the half hour mark. Ex-Premiership striker Clyde Wijnhard should have put the visitors in the lead when a defensive mix-up by the Tangerines handed him a free shot at Phil Barnes from six yards out. But Wijnhard was caught in two minds about whether to chip it or side-foot past Barnes, and in the end the Huddersfield striker produced nothing more than a pass back to a relieved Barnes. The chances became fewer as the half drew to a close and by the time the referee blew the half-time whistle the game had become scrappy with the wind and playing surface the main culprits.

However Pool were rewarded for their hard work minutes after the restart. Scott Taylor won a corner on the right hand side and it was Taylor himself who supplied the cross after receiving the ball from a Richie Wellens short corner. The cross was excellent -- low and fast making it very difficult to defend against -- and when Ian Marshall connected with the ball all he had to do was steer it past Margetson into the bottom corner.

Huddersfield got back into the game straight after the goal and began to put pressure on the Blackpool defence. Pool were finding miniature striker Leon Knight especially difficult to defend against with his pace and weaving runs proving too much for the not-so-agile Ian Marshall.

Eventually Knight got on the score sheet but in a way that no would have imagined. Knight, who at 5ft 4ins is surely the smallest player to visit Bloomfield Road this season, out-jumped John O'Kane in the air to loop a header past a stranded Phil Barnes and into the far corner. It was a ridiculous goal to concede, given Knight's size and the fact that he was the only player in the Blackpool box that Pool had to defend against.

The remainder of the game could have gone either way. Knight continued to threaten for Huddersfield, as did Blackpool substitute Martin Bullock at the other end. One such chance from Bullock should have been converted by Murphy with five minutes remaining, but the big striker is not known for his pace and the visitors' defence recovered just as Murphy shaped to shoot.

But just as the game seemed destined to end in a draw, another defensive mistake allowed Knight to grab the winner for Huddersfield in the third minute of injury time. A hopeful ball into the Blackpool box should have been dealt with by any one of O'Kane, Marshall or Barnes. But instead Knight capitalised on a moment's hesitation by Blackpool to stab the ball past Barnes for the cruellest of winners.

By then it was too late and Huddersfield achieved revenge for the recent LDV Vans defeat by Blackpool.

At the end of the day, it was all about matters off the pitch with the Blackpool fans finally occupying the two new stands. A win would have helped, though, as many of the stay-away fans who returned would have left the new-look Bloomfield Road after seeing the same old Blackpool team.

Blackpool 1 Huddersfield Town 2

Scorer: Marshall (47) Scorer: Knight (70, 90)

Attendance: 8,981